Chapter 35

Dan called Benji while he and Hawk climbed into the rental car. Weighing different options Dan finally decided to have a shuttle bring Benji to the general aviation terminal at the airport. While they were waiting he and Hawk would get something to eat. After hanging up, Dan turned to Hawk and said, “What kind of drive-through suits your fancy?”

“I was thinking more about a steak, after what I’ve been through.”

“I can understand, but we don’t need to meet more people who know Robert Gray Hawk. We survived this one quite well, but we don’t need to see our ‘house of cards’ come tumbling down.”

“I can’t argue with that. You were brilliant in there.”

Dan replied, “Not really, but I’d information no one else knew. I knew the old woman wouldn’t recognize you, and I knew your fingerprints wouldn’t match. Also, I knew Jason and Maria would back us. The biggest potential problem I could see was someone would know the real Robert Gray Hawk. Dealing with the fights and destruction of property could have been awkward, but I felt pretty safe there, as those types of activities are misdemeanors or nominal felonies. As a result, they nearly always have a three year statute of limitations.”

“That makes sense, but it was still a gamble. Bright Feather could have yelled foul at any moment.”

“He sure could have, and I’m still concerned about his conversation. He could use his knowledge to blackmail you.”

“I know, but that was why I had him talk to Longbow. I think these people respect and fear that old man too much to try to pull a stunt like that. At the same time, he could be a very valuable asset for the future.”

“Hawk, I agree. He’s worked to better himself, but the corporate world doesn’t see a man like that as equal to others of equal training. There’s not even an affirmative action program or public relation points for hiring an Apache. Treat him fair, and he’ll be willing to die for you.”

Hawk nodded, and said, “I think he saw a glimmer of that in the way we helped Missus Ortiz, and our desire to make things right for Robert’s earlier activities. He knew I wasn’t responsible, but I didn’t let it become an excuse to ignore the damages Robert had inflicted. That’s part of the responsibility that goes with assuming this identity.”

“You’re correct about that, but as you were talking about assuming the identity I just realized today’s little incident has firmly established you as Robert Gray Hawk. Even your fingerprints will be in the national database under his identity. We couldn’t have orchestrated it any better. At this point I’d say all of the ties to John Grayson are cut.”

“Dan, in some ways I agree with you, but I’d still like to see my name cleared, even posthumously. In addition, Candice and a missing little girl are still uncut strings.”

“That brings me to a question I’ve wanted to ask for weeks. If you were cleared, would you want to go back?”

“Dan, I’ve wrestled with that question since I first assumed this identity. Now, I can truthfully say I’ve truly become Hawk, with no desire to ever become John Grayson again.”

“Then why the desire to have your name cleared?”

“I guess I’ve a couple of reasons. One would be if something ever happened and I had to abandon the Robert Gray Hawk identity. The second is I feel I owe it to my parents to have a clear name.”

“But they’re both dead, and you’ve no living relatives.”

“None except a possible daughter I’ve never even met. I know it’s not logical, but I also know it’d be what my mom and dad would’ve wanted. Now, what about that food?”

“I see a sign up ahead. How does Cajun chicken and biscuits sound to you?”

“Almost as good as a steak. Why don’t you get us some, while I call Maria?”

“I can do that. Anything else you want?”

“I’d love some red beans and rice.”

“Not and fly with me for the rest of the day. At ten thousand feet I can’t exactly roll the window down and let your fumes escape.”

Hawk laughed, and said, “Point taken.”

Dan pulled the car into the parking lot and went inside to get their food. He also emptied his bladder while he was at it. Hawk pulled out his cell phone and called the ranch. Brenda answered, and quickly both his women were on the phone. He assured them he was OK, and things had worked out far beyond his expectations. “Listen, I love you both so much it hurts. Dan asked a few minutes ago if I’d go back to my old life if my name was cleared. I told him this was my life, the only life I want. I’ll be home in a little over two hours, but we’ll have to leave for Mexico shortly afterward. If it wasn’t something that’s crucial, I wouldn’t be leaving the two of you, even for just one night.” Both women had tears in their eyes as they assured him they understood. “My sweethearts, I do need to change the subject. Did everything go all right with your errands today?”

“Yes, except for the new pickup. It won’t be ready until tomorrow afternoon. Marc ordered a lot of extras he said would help make it a better ranch truck.”

“Are you happy with your convertible?”

Maria interjected, “She certainly is. It’s definitely ‘her.’ This afternoon, I’m going to get her hair cut in a style that will make it easier for her to drive around with the top down.”

“Are you OK with it?”

“Oh, definitely, as I’m still perfectly happy with my Mustang. Besides, I know my loving husband would buy me anything I wanted. Just knowing that in my heart keeps me from being jealous.”

“How about the camper, or motorhome as some would call it?”

Brenda replied, “Hawk, they did you proud. It’s the perfect blend of functionality and comfort. It’s in excellent shape, as the couple that owned it only used it a few times before the man was diagnosed with cancer. Under the circumstances we didn’t even feel right in trying to dicker with them on the price. I hope we did right.”

“Brenda, I’m always willing to bargain with someone. But there’s also the concept of kicking someone when they’re down. Unless it’s someone who really deserves it, I never want to do that.”

“So I did right?”

“Yes, my darling, you did right. Now, I see Dan returning with the food, so I’d better let you go. We still have to wait for Benji.”

Together, as if rehearsed, both women said, “Hurry home, and please be careful.”

Dan and Hawk spread the food between them and reminisced about the past while they ate. When they finished Dan looked inside the restaurant. When he didn’t see anyone of American Indian ancestry he suggested Hawk carry in the trash and relieve himself before they headed to the plane.

Hawk went inside, dropped their trash into the appropriate bin, and headed for the bathroom. As he walked inside a man looked up from where he was washing his hands. He was a big man, probably six four - two hundred and fifty pounds, with an expensive Stetson, fancy boots, and a big silver buckle on his belt. On the back of the belt the name ‘Rex’ was worked into the leather.

Seeing Hawk’s appearance, the man said, “Boy, it’s about time you got in here. That toilet back there stinks to ‘high heaven.’“

“I’m sorry,” Hawk replied, “but I don’t work here. I was just coming in to drain my bladder before we head back to Phoenix.”

“What! You too lazy even to work in a place like this? No wonder the Mexicans are taking over this country. Even the Indians are too lazy to do honest labor.” Hawk would have liked to have responded, especially with his fists, but that wasn’t the battle to be fought today. Especially not with the effort Dan had put forth to show that Robert Gray Hawk was a different man. Instead, he just backed out the door and returned to the car.

Seeing the angry look on Hawk’s face, Dan asked, “Are you OK?”

“Not really, and I still need to use the bathroom. Just pull off to the side for a minute. I’ll go at the airport, but there’s something I have to do first.” Hawk’s patience was soon rewarded, as the big man came out of the building, and headed for his pickup truck. It was a big dark metallic gray four-door Silverado Dually. On the driver’s door was a sign that said Bryson Electrical Contractors, and included a phone number. Hawk wrote that information on the back of their car’s rental agreement, along with the truck’s license plate number. Watching all of this, Dan asked, “What was that all about?”

“I had a run in with a bigoted asshole. I backed away rather than reacting like I wanted to. This is just for later, if I decide that man needs to be taken down a peg or two. I’m through here, so let’s head for the plane.”

A few minutes later they arrived at the airport. Dan turned in the rental car, and was beginning a pre-flight inspection when Hawk returned from the bathroom. Before Dan had finished a shuttle from the casino pulled up next to the plane. Benji exited the shuttle and joined Hawk in the plane while Dan finished his checks. During all this Hawk happened to glance at his watch. It stunned him to realize it was just 3:10 p.m.

Dan started each of the two engines and let them warm up a bit while he checked the map. Finally, after checking everything twice he said, “Hawk, I’m going to need your help navigating, on this trip.” Pointing to a spot on the map he added, “When we leave here we have to thread between these two restricted air spaces. Then we’ll fly almost due west to this point. From there we fly northwest until we reach the Gila River. I plan on following the river though the mountains, and into Phoenix.”

Hawk asked, “Why not just fly over them? I know this thing has a higher ceiling than that.”

“There’s several reasons, but the biggest one is the jet stream is right over us. I discovered that when I checked the weather. At ten thousand feet we’ll be facing a head wind of over a hundred miles an hour. At fifteen thousand feet this plane will almost be hovering. By flying around the taller peaks, and flying through gaps and valleys, we’ll actually get home faster than if I tried to fly in a straight line.”

“That makes sense, I just wish you had someone more experienced than me to read the charts.”

“Hawk, you’ll do fine. It’s just logic, observation and geometry.”

“I’m not happy, but I’ll do my best. I do have one question though.”

“Shoot.”

“Why can’t we just plug all these way-points into the GPS and let it guide us there?”

“Primarily because I haven’t needed one before now, so I’ve never had one installed.” Hawk actually laughed at the thought of ‘Mr Technology’ not buying one as a toy, if nothing else.

Moments later they were in the air. Hawk had far fewer problems than he’d envisioned, as his only mistake was letting Dan go all the way to Interstate 10 before they headed west. Fortunately, the Interstate was less than ten miles out of their way.

At 4:50 p.m. Dan used the Unicom to radio the FBO at Williams Gateway. He asked them to call the ranch and have them send someone for Hawk. Thus, when the plane landed and taxied up to the General Aviation Terminal waiting for them were Brenda’s new car and a ‘class C’ motorhome (a truck front, mated to a small motorhome body).

Hawk climbed out of the plane, and Benji moved forward into the front seat beside the pilot. Before Hawk had finished kissing his two women the Beech Baron was heading south toward Mexico. Feeling the love of Maria and Brenda surrounding him, a happy Hawk asked, “So what’s going on?”

Brenda replied, “Marc and Skyler are ready to help you clean the stables. While you’re gone Maria and I are going shopping. When we finish we’re going to spend the night with Aunt Beth and Zed Andrews.”

“That sounds like a good idea, as it’s been a couple of weeks since you’ve seen her. It’ll also take one worry off my mind while we’re gone.”

“What worry is that?” asked an inquisitive Maria.

“The worry of my precious wives being alone on that isolated ranch, with no security.”

“Would you really worry about us, and do you really consider us your wives?”

“Brenda, more than you can even imagine.”

With a pouting face and a devilish glint in her eye, Brenda said, “Then, you’ve been neglecting your ‘husbandly duties, ‘ and we’re getting tired of it.”

Maria and Hawk laughed, with Brenda quickly following. At that moment the realization hit Hawk as if a boulder had fallen on him. He did now know what love was. Or, at least, he was beginning to learn. And for him that love was centered on these two women. These two women who made him feel special and complete, and who also helped complete each other. In spite of the vast differences in their appearance, they were truly becoming sisters. As he thought about it he realized they could be growing closer than sisters. They were more like twins who seemed to share the same mind.

In response to these thoughts Hawk said, “Maria, you asked a short time ago about our going through a re-commitment ceremony during Jason and Andy’s wedding. You said that to the world it would be our restating our vows, but for us it would be our actual wedding. The more I think about it, the more I really like the concept, but I don’t think it should be a part of their wedding. I may be just learning a little about women, but it seems to me the wedding is primarily for the benefit of the bride. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would diminish or detract from Andy’s special day.”

A surprised Maria exclaimed, “I hadn’t even thought about such a thing! Oh, I’m so glad we had so many other things to handle I never even mentioned it to her.”

Brenda hugged her ‘sister, ‘ and gently said, “It’s OK. I knew what you were thinking, and I was prepared to redirect you at the appropriate time. Instead, our wonderful husband shows us just how smart and sensitive he is. I’ll help you get it arranged.”

Hawk shook his head, and said, “No, you’ll work together to arrange it so that I can do this with both of you, just in different churches and cities. If an idea of Deke’s doesn’t work, then in each case, I’ll be officially stating my vows to Maria Corsay, only the two of you will alternate as to who is Maria, and who is Brenda. I’d also suggest you select some special historical church or landmark. We can use the romantic idea of ‘being married’ in such a place as a cover for the repeated ceremonies.”

Maria exclaimed, “Hawk, that’s an excellent idea, though I’d like to be married on the reservation if that would be OK.”

“As I said, it’s your special day. We just need to keep in mind security and being as inconspicuous as possible. It’s also important the site be in Arizona. That should help prevent us from being prosecuted by another state’s bigamy laws.”

Brenda asked, “How is that?”

“In Arizona a man can have many wives, as long as he only has one marriage license. Deke brought that to my attention earlier.”

“So, I can become Brenda Gray Hawk?”

“If that’s what you want. It would probably require a name change. Dennis or one of the other lawyers could probably give you a better answer on that than I can.”

Brenda grabbed Maria’s hand, and said, “Hurry, Sister, we’ve got some planning to do when we finish shopping.”

With that they both gave him a quick kiss, climbed into the car, and drove away. Hawk watched them until they disappeared from sight, and then headed for the motorhome. When he got to the door, Marc opened it, and held it open until Hawk was inside.

To read this story you need a Registration + Premier Membership
If you have an account, then please Log In or Register (Why register?)

Support the author's future writing by purchasing this book from Bookapy

The Hawk and the Chipmunk

Mike Lowe aka The Scot

$5.95